Hamper gauntlet thrown down by Gazette staff

At this time of year, many families on the West Shore are starting to worry about how they’ll make the Christmas season merry.

Having enough food to create a special holiday meal is part of that challenge, which is why the staff at the Goldstream News Gazette began our 12 Weeks of Christmas hamper campaign last month.

The commitment is for every person to bring in at least one non-perishable food item per week leading up to the provision of hampers to families in need by the Goldstream Food Bank.

We’d also like to challenge West Shore businesses to come up with their own version of the 12 Weeks of Christmas, by collecting food and other items for the food bank.

For the month of December, the food bank officially becomes the Westshore Christmas Hamper Society, with a focus on collecting items for hampers to be given out just before Dec. 25. For more information, contact the food bank at 250-474-4443 or visit them online at foodbank.islandnet.com.